Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Mariko Kusumoto Uses Translucent Fabric to Produce Wearable Art

"When I started to work in three-dimensions, I became free," says artist Mariko Kusumoto. The Japanese multi-media artist, now based in Massachusetts, has found fantasy in the ordinary since she was a little girl, digging through her grandmother's dresser for treasures to play with. Today, she uses a transparent synthetic fabric to bring her imagination to life, creating wearable art that blurs the line between fashion and sculpture.

“When I started to work in three-dimensions, I became free,” says artist Mariko Kusumoto. The Japanese multi-media artist, now based in Massachusetts, has found fantasy in the ordinary since she was a little girl, digging through her grandmother’s dresser for treasures to play with.

Today, she uses a transparent synthetic fabric to bring her imagination to life, creating wearable art that blurs the line between fashion and sculpture. She folds and molds the fabric into enchanting forms inspired by the sea: coral-shaped necklaces, brooches and rings as smooth and weightless as bubbles, pieces that even the Little Mermaid would envy.

At the heart of Kusumoto’s art is wonder and discovery. “Working with layers and adding moving parts creates playful, mysterious and ethereal atmospheres. I feel endless unlimited possibilities in these materials,” she shares. “Many of my pieces come from accidental discoveries. During the experimentation process, a breathtaking moment sometimes happens. I catch those moments and develop ideas from that point.”

Kusumoto recognizes her Japanese identity in her work. Layered in brilliant colors, her pieces bring to mind wagashi, the exquisite, Japanese confections that are often served during tea ceremonies. Having grown up in a 400-year-old Buddhist temple where her father was a priest, she values the kind of enriched beauty in simplicity which is typical of Japanese aesthetics, but she believes her work can be appreciated by anyone.

“My work reflects various, observable phenomena that stimulate my mind and senses; they can be natural or man-made. I ‘reorganize’ them into a new presentation that can be described as surreal, amusing, graceful, or unexpected. A playful, happy atmosphere pervades my work. I always like to leave some space for the viewer’s imagination,” she says. “I hope the viewer experiences discovery, surprise, and wonder through my work.”

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
American artist Joel Morrison creates contemporary composite sculptures by transforming ordinary objects into shiny, new pieces of art. The artist encases shopping carts, balloons, anvils, clothing, bullets, and other items in stainless steel, giving them new life in their smooth and highly polished forms. His creations, which the artist describes as "a collage of scenarios", exist somewhere between the realms of pop, surrealism and classicism, playing with different visual tropes of art history and engaging in conversation with a range of artists and genres within the Western art canon.
Life and death are major themes explored through the work of Claire Morgan, a U.K.-based artist who uses taxidermy and invisible wire to create objects that express both ideas. The result is a moment in time, one that conveys the beauty of the animal, its fragility, and our own strained relationship with nature. In a statement, Morgan says, “Through my work, I am looking at everyday life and death; and the ideas of entertainment, consumption, meaninglessness and loneliness are a part of that.”
"We are leaving many vulnerable species and habitats frantic, facing disruptions and uncertain outcomes," says Oakland based artist Crystal Morey. Featured on our blog, her ceramic sculptures of people wearing animal skins express her personal connection to nature- and our strained relationship to it. "In my work, I investigate these actions while also creating an evocative and mysterious narrative that shows our interdependence with the land and animals around us." Morey's upcoming exhibition "At the Edge of Time" at Antler Gallery in Portland will debut a new series of small eagle, bear, and deer-headed figure, portrayed completely absorbed in some secret conference.
Italian artist Mauro Perucchetti is instantly recognizable for his eye catching colored resin figures. Among these, one series in particular stands out for its stark contemporary twist on well known sculptures. Perucchetti describes his "Modern Heroes" series as classic-pop, fiberglass re-imaginaings of works by master artists like Michaelangelo and Auguste Rodin. In his statement, Peruchetti writes that he "unites Pop aesthetics with social comment to address some of the most pressing and difficult issues in today’s society in a way that is subtle and accessible, without being trite, shocking or obscure." Since May of this year, "Modern Heroes" has been featured at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List